Jury selection under way in trial of 'Wooded Rapist'

The jury selection process is under way in the trial against Robert Jason Burdick, known as the “Wooded Rapist.”

Burdick is on trial for the Feb. 18, 2000, rape of a woman on Tusculum Road. Burdick faces charges of aggravated rape and especially aggravated kidnapping.

While defense attorneys pressed potential jurors on how they feel about a defendant not taking the stand, both the state’s attorneys — as well as counsel for the defense — asked likely jurors about their views of DNA evidence and how much that evidence would weigh in their final judgments.

Judge Seth Norman warned potential jurors, “This is not CSI or anything like that. … It’s not going to take just 40 minutes after you take out all of the commercials.”

Burdick has already been convicted in two assaults. He was sentenced to 32 years in prison for aggravated rape and aggravated burglary, as well as to 10 years for attempted aggravated rape.